What’s the deal with Amherst?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:
Tiny, mediocre campus in a lackluster town.

Opinion.

Anonymous wrote: No academic highlights (like Williams tutorial, Swarthmore Honors, etc).

Open curriculum? Consortium?

Anonymous wrote:
Racial and socioeconomic diversity on paper, but every group sticks with themselves.

I'm always surprised when I see this repeated here. DC's friend group looks like it was made for a brochure.

Anonymous wrote:
Snobby, condescending students who think they're big shots. This struck us because the students we met at Yale and Brown were so much more friendly and humble.

Opinion.

Anonymous wrote:
They tout small classes but only 62% are under 20 students- every other top ranked SLAC and nearly every top 20 university is ahead of them.

Nice cherrypicking. They're ahead of Williams and Swarthmore on under 30. Either way, the "advantages" the other schools have are rounding errors.

Anonymous wrote:
They themselves said few utilize the 5 College consortium, so that's a moot benefit.

The benefit also takes the form of being in a real college town with sports games, bars, and an actual full selection of amenities.

The consortium is not a real benefit and few students use it. I don't know why people on DCUM still are lying about this when it's common knowledge at this point. If you want a consortium that bad, go to the Claremont schools or whatever they are.
What percent of LAC classes even have 30 students?

I don't think this is true about the consortium. My kid is at another one of the colleges in this 5 college consortium and it's definitely a benefit. She has gone to many social events at other colleges. Her friend is taking a class at another school. They do use it. Plus there's just an overall benefit to being in an area that serves a lot of college students in terms of the infrastructure that serves them.

So 1 student at another school takes class off campus (btw no one is saying other colleges don’t sue the consortium- Hampshire basically only exists to take classes at the other schools), and students go off campus to other ones for some things. These aren’t exactly dazzling reasons to go to a college- I went to many MIT and BU events while at Harvard, but I wouldn’t list MIT parties as a core reason to go to Harvard

Being in a real college town with a full suite of amenities, restaurants open late into the night, proper bars, and 40,000 other students does give Amherst an advantage over Williams or Middlebury.

Have you been to Amherst? There were only a few restaurants and bars on the main drag, I was shocked given that UMass is so big and nearby. Apparently Mich of the social life is going to UMass parties. Not ideal.

DC goes to Amherst; we are quite familiar with the town.

Please enlighten where this “college infrastructure” is then because it certainly isn’t in the little shopping area next to the school. We could barely find somewhere for dinner outside of that horrible historic Inn.

Protocol. Lao Hu Tong. Formosa. LiLi's. Miss Saigon. Bueno Y Sano. Amherst Oyster Bar. Royal Chicken and Kebab. Pita Pockets. The list goes on and on. If you go to Hadley (easily accessible by a free bus), there's pretty much every store you'll need: Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Home Depot, Michael's, Big Y, T Mobile, AT&T, a Chase Bank branch…the amenities are all there.

DP here. I went to Dartmouth and Hanover is similar in size, but farther from other little towns. I remember Amherst being close to Northampton, which also has a bunch of great restaurants, shops and coffee shops. The point is that if you have a bunch of colleges nearby, there's more places to check out, which makes Amherst more interesting than, e.g. Williamstown. I heard that the kids at Williamstown drive to Northampton.

That’s definitely not true, at least not because they need to. People go to North Adams or Pittsfield. It’s easier to go to Albany than it is to Northampton

Northampton is far nicer of a place than North Adams or Pittsfield.

But if you’re going an hour out, just go to Albany-which has multiple times the things as Northampton. No one really mentioned niceness originally, so I’m not sure why we care.

I am one of the Amherst detractors. The Williams Inn was heaven. Even the sandwich and coffee places were nicer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how much time the various detractors have actually spent near Amherst. In addition to several blocks of restaurants (multiple Asian and Mexican places), cafes, a bookstore, movie theater, weekly farmer’s market and live music venue that brings in big acts right near campus, there are also all the strip mall type amenities within 3 miles— Whole Foods, rTrader Joe’s, big y, Home Depot, target, chipotle and similar chain type restaurants, large rock climbing gym. Then there is Northampton, which is quite urban in feel with several blocks of shops and restaurants and bars. Add to that concerts and events at other schools in the consortium and there is a lot going on, as much as at any school not in a large city. And then there are the trails right on campus with farm with flower garden where kids can make bouquets for their room, the gorgeous rail trail that goes all the way to Northampton, and multiple beautiful nature preserves with hiking trails and swimming holes all within easy biking distance. In the first two months my DC has biked to Northhampton and attended multiple live concerts in Amherst. I would say the campus buildings, especially the library, are not as impressive as many campuses (though the dorms are quite nice, and everything is more than functional), and the first year quad is pretty with a good view of the mountains, but not as nice as Williams or Middlebury. I think if you take a quick tour it might not impress, but if you really explore the area I think it has a lot more going for it in terms of a combination of amenities/activities/nature than any other LAC on the east coast.

I liked Middlebury a lot but I don’t think the campus is super cute, certainly not cuter than Amherst. The buildings are hodgepodgey/modern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how much time the various detractors have actually spent near Amherst. In addition to several blocks of restaurants (multiple Asian and Mexican places), cafes, a bookstore, movie theater, weekly farmer’s market and live music venue that brings in big acts right near campus, there are also all the strip mall type amenities within 3 miles— Whole Foods, rTrader Joe’s, big y, Home Depot, target, chipotle and similar chain type restaurants, large rock climbing gym. Then there is Northampton, which is quite urban in feel with several blocks of shops and restaurants and bars. Add to that concerts and events at other schools in the consortium and there is a lot going on, as much as at any school not in a large city. And then there are the trails right on campus with farm with flower garden where kids can make bouquets for their room, the gorgeous rail trail that goes all the way to Northampton, and multiple beautiful nature preserves with hiking trails and swimming holes all within easy biking distance. In the first two months my DC has biked to Northhampton and attended multiple live concerts in Amherst. I would say the campus buildings, especially the library, are not as impressive as many campuses (though the dorms are quite nice, and everything is more than functional), and the first year quad is pretty with a good view of the mountains, but not as nice as Williams or Middlebury. I think if you take a quick tour it might not impress, but if you really explore the area I think it has a lot more going for it in terms of a combination of amenities/activities/nature than any other LAC on the east coast.

I liked Middlebury a lot but I don’t think the campus is super cute, certainly not cuter than Amherst. The buildings are hodgepodgey/modern.

I disagree. I think of all the schools we visited, Middlebury had the most consistent "look"--gray stone buildings spaced on lawns. There are a couple of modern buildings--the library and science center--but those are buildings you want to be a bit more modern. The new freshman hall is super nice--looks like it's always been there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Tiny, mediocre campus in a lackluster town.

Opinion.

Anonymous wrote: No academic highlights (like Williams tutorial, Swarthmore Honors, etc).

Open curriculum? Consortium?

Anonymous wrote:
Racial and socioeconomic diversity on paper, but every group sticks with themselves.

I'm always surprised when I see this repeated here. DC's friend group looks like it was made for a brochure.

Anonymous wrote:
Snobby, condescending students who think they're big shots. This struck us because the students we met at Yale and Brown were so much more friendly and humble.

Opinion.

Anonymous wrote:
They tout small classes but only 62% are under 20 students- every other top ranked SLAC and nearly every top 20 university is ahead of them.

Nice cherrypicking. They're ahead of Williams and Swarthmore on under 30. Either way, the "advantages" the other schools have are rounding errors.

Anonymous wrote:
They themselves said few utilize the 5 College consortium, so that's a moot benefit.

The benefit also takes the form of being in a real college town with sports games, bars, and an actual full selection of amenities.

The consortium is not a real benefit and few students use it. I don't know why people on DCUM still are lying about this when it's common knowledge at this point. If you want a consortium that bad, go to the Claremont schools or whatever they are.
What percent of LAC classes even have 30 students?

I don't think this is true about the consortium. My kid is at another one of the colleges in this 5 college consortium and it's definitely a benefit. She has gone to many social events at other colleges. Her friend is taking a class at another school. They do use it. Plus there's just an overall benefit to being in an area that serves a lot of college students in terms of the infrastructure that serves them.

So 1 student at another school takes class off campus (btw no one is saying other colleges don’t sue the consortium- Hampshire basically only exists to take classes at the other schools), and students go off campus to other ones for some things. These aren’t exactly dazzling reasons to go to a college- I went to many MIT and BU events while at Harvard, but I wouldn’t list MIT parties as a core reason to go to Harvard

Ok you can hate on these schools, but someone said this consortium isn't a real benefit and few students use it. I have firsthand knowledge that's not accurate for my DD and her friends so I shared it. Not sure why that triggers you so much. It's not a core reason to go to any of these schools, but my DD did consider it as a factor in her decision as compared to schools that don't have this benefit, and she's mentioned since she's glad it's there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how much time the various detractors have actually spent near Amherst. In addition to several blocks of restaurants (multiple Asian and Mexican places), cafes, a bookstore, movie theater, weekly farmer’s market and live music venue that brings in big acts right near campus, there are also all the strip mall type amenities within 3 miles— Whole Foods, rTrader Joe’s, big y, Home Depot, target, chipotle and similar chain type restaurants, large rock climbing gym. Then there is Northampton, which is quite urban in feel with several blocks of shops and restaurants and bars. Add to that concerts and events at other schools in the consortium and there is a lot going on, as much as at any school not in a large city. And then there are the trails right on campus with farm with flower garden where kids can make bouquets for their room, the gorgeous rail trail that goes all the way to Northampton, and multiple beautiful nature preserves with hiking trails and swimming holes all within easy biking distance. In the first two months my DC has biked to Northhampton and attended multiple live concerts in Amherst. I would say the campus buildings, especially the library, are not as impressive as many campuses (though the dorms are quite nice, and everything is more than functional), and the first year quad is pretty with a good view of the mountains, but not as nice as Williams or Middlebury. I think if you take a quick tour it might not impress, but if you really explore the area I think it has a lot more going for it in terms of a combination of amenities/activities/nature than any other LAC on the east coast.

I liked Middlebury a lot but I don’t think the campus is super cute, certainly not cuter than Amherst. The buildings are hodgepodgey/modern.

Middlebury is literally the opposite of hodgepodge and modern. Have you even been there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how much time the various detractors have actually spent near Amherst. In addition to several blocks of restaurants (multiple Asian and Mexican places), cafes, a bookstore, movie theater, weekly farmer’s market and live music venue that brings in big acts right near campus, there are also all the strip mall type amenities within 3 miles— Whole Foods, rTrader Joe’s, big y, Home Depot, target, chipotle and similar chain type restaurants, large rock climbing gym. Then there is Northampton, which is quite urban in feel with several blocks of shops and restaurants and bars. Add to that concerts and events at other schools in the consortium and there is a lot going on, as much as at any school not in a large city. And then there are the trails right on campus with farm with flower garden where kids can make bouquets for their room, the gorgeous rail trail that goes all the way to Northampton, and multiple beautiful nature preserves with hiking trails and swimming holes all within easy biking distance. In the first two months my DC has biked to Northhampton and attended multiple live concerts in Amherst. I would say the campus buildings, especially the library, are not as impressive as many campuses (though the dorms are quite nice, and everything is more than functional), and the first year quad is pretty with a good view of the mountains, but not as nice as Williams or Middlebury. I think if you take a quick tour it might not impress, but if you really explore the area I think it has a lot more going for it in terms of a combination of amenities/activities/nature than any other LAC on the east coast.

I liked Middlebury a lot but I don’t think the campus is super cute, certainly not cuter than Amherst. The buildings are hodgepodgey/modern.

I disagree. I think of all the schools we visited, Middlebury had the most consistent "look"--gray stone buildings spaced on lawns. There are a couple of modern buildings--the library and science center--but those are buildings you want to be a bit more modern. The new freshman hall is super nice--looks like it's always been there.

It looked like a giant box. It was nice but not charming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Tiny, mediocre campus in a lackluster town.

Opinion.

Anonymous wrote: No academic highlights (like Williams tutorial, Swarthmore Honors, etc).

Open curriculum? Consortium?

Anonymous wrote:
Racial and socioeconomic diversity on paper, but every group sticks with themselves.

I'm always surprised when I see this repeated here. DC's friend group looks like it was made for a brochure.

Anonymous wrote:
Snobby, condescending students who think they're big shots. This struck us because the students we met at Yale and Brown were so much more friendly and humble.

Opinion.

Anonymous wrote:
They tout small classes but only 62% are under 20 students- every other top ranked SLAC and nearly every top 20 university is ahead of them.

Nice cherrypicking. They're ahead of Williams and Swarthmore on under 30. Either way, the "advantages" the other schools have are rounding errors.

Anonymous wrote:
They themselves said few utilize the 5 College consortium, so that's a moot benefit.

The benefit also takes the form of being in a real college town with sports games, bars, and an actual full selection of amenities.

The consortium is not a real benefit and few students use it. I don't know why people on DCUM still are lying about this when it's common knowledge at this point. If you want a consortium that bad, go to the Claremont schools or whatever they are.
What percent of LAC classes even have 30 students?

I don't think this is true about the consortium. My kid is at another one of the colleges in this 5 college consortium and it's definitely a benefit. She has gone to many social events at other colleges. Her friend is taking a class at another school. They do use it. Plus there's just an overall benefit to being in an area that serves a lot of college students in terms of the infrastructure that serves them.

So 1 student at another school takes class off campus (btw no one is saying other colleges don’t sue the consortium- Hampshire basically only exists to take classes at the other schools), and students go off campus to other ones for some things. These aren’t exactly dazzling reasons to go to a college- I went to many MIT and BU events while at Harvard, but I wouldn’t list MIT parties as a core reason to go to Harvard

Being in a real college town with a full suite of amenities, restaurants open late into the night, proper bars, and 40,000 other students does give Amherst an advantage over Williams or Middlebury.

Have you been to Amherst? There were only a few restaurants and bars on the main drag, I was shocked given that UMass is so big and nearby. Apparently Mich of the social life is going to UMass parties. Not ideal.

DC goes to Amherst; we are quite familiar with the town.

Please enlighten where this “college infrastructure” is then because it certainly isn’t in the little shopping area next to the school. We could barely find somewhere for dinner outside of that horrible historic Inn.

There’s a lot more to Amherst than pleasant street. That being said I love pleasant street and there are dozens of restaurants on it and just off of it. There’s also a movie theater, bars, coffee shops, insomnia cookies, etc etc and the most stars hollow farmers market I have ever been to that the students frequent on Saturday mornings. If you take the left turn to UMass (the campuses are quite close) and keep going you find the Targets and Chipotles of the world.

Yup, saw all of that, there is a few sandwich/coffee shops, two or three bars and not much else. Didn’t have a good meal the entire time we were there.

You're missing out; Protocol is among the upper echelon of restaurants we've been to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how much time the various detractors have actually spent near Amherst. In addition to several blocks of restaurants (multiple Asian and Mexican places), cafes, a bookstore, movie theater, weekly farmer’s market and live music venue that brings in big acts right near campus, there are also all the strip mall type amenities within 3 miles— Whole Foods, rTrader Joe’s, big y, Home Depot, target, chipotle and similar chain type restaurants, large rock climbing gym. Then there is Northampton, which is quite urban in feel with several blocks of shops and restaurants and bars. Add to that concerts and events at other schools in the consortium and there is a lot going on, as much as at any school not in a large city. And then there are the trails right on campus with farm with flower garden where kids can make bouquets for their room, the gorgeous rail trail that goes all the way to Northampton, and multiple beautiful nature preserves with hiking trails and swimming holes all within easy biking distance. In the first two months my DC has biked to Northhampton and attended multiple live concerts in Amherst. I would say the campus buildings, especially the library, are not as impressive as many campuses (though the dorms are quite nice, and everything is more than functional), and the first year quad is pretty with a good view of the mountains, but not as nice as Williams or Middlebury. I think if you take a quick tour it might not impress, but if you really explore the area I think it has a lot more going for it in terms of a combination of amenities/activities/nature than any other LAC on the east coast.

I liked Middlebury a lot but I don’t think the campus is super cute, certainly not cuter than Amherst. The buildings are hodgepodgey/modern.

Middlebury is literally the opposite of hodgepodge and modern. Have you even been there?

Yes. Just visited.

Some stone. A little brick. Some grey block. Some modern vibes. Random Tudor building. Some random homes (old frat houses?) for dorms. Very spread out.

I liked it but it wasn’t as cute as I was expecting. I like gothic or even some brick better. YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Tiny, mediocre campus in a lackluster town.

Opinion.

Anonymous wrote: No academic highlights (like Williams tutorial, Swarthmore Honors, etc).

Open curriculum? Consortium?

Anonymous wrote:
Racial and socioeconomic diversity on paper, but every group sticks with themselves.

I'm always surprised when I see this repeated here. DC's friend group looks like it was made for a brochure.

Anonymous wrote:
Snobby, condescending students who think they're big shots. This struck us because the students we met at Yale and Brown were so much more friendly and humble.

Opinion.

Anonymous wrote:
They tout small classes but only 62% are under 20 students- every other top ranked SLAC and nearly every top 20 university is ahead of them.

Nice cherrypicking. They're ahead of Williams and Swarthmore on under 30. Either way, the "advantages" the other schools have are rounding errors.

Anonymous wrote:
They themselves said few utilize the 5 College consortium, so that's a moot benefit.

The benefit also takes the form of being in a real college town with sports games, bars, and an actual full selection of amenities.

The consortium is not a real benefit and few students use it. I don't know why people on DCUM still are lying about this when it's common knowledge at this point. If you want a consortium that bad, go to the Claremont schools or whatever they are.
What percent of LAC classes even have 30 students?

I don't think this is true about the consortium. My kid is at another one of the colleges in this 5 college consortium and it's definitely a benefit. She has gone to many social events at other colleges. Her friend is taking a class at another school. They do use it. Plus there's just an overall benefit to being in an area that serves a lot of college students in terms of the infrastructure that serves them.

So 1 student at another school takes class off campus (btw no one is saying other colleges don’t sue the consortium- Hampshire basically only exists to take classes at the other schools), and students go off campus to other ones for some things. These aren’t exactly dazzling reasons to go to a college- I went to many MIT and BU events while at Harvard, but I wouldn’t list MIT parties as a core reason to go to Harvard

Being in a real college town with a full suite of amenities, restaurants open late into the night, proper bars, and 40,000 other students does give Amherst an advantage over Williams or Middlebury.

Have you been to Amherst? There were only a few restaurants and bars on the main drag, I was shocked given that UMass is so big and nearby. Apparently Mich of the social life is going to UMass parties. Not ideal.

DC goes to Amherst; we are quite familiar with the town.

Please enlighten where this “college infrastructure” is then because it certainly isn’t in the little shopping area next to the school. We could barely find somewhere for dinner outside of that horrible historic Inn.

There’s a lot more to Amherst than pleasant street. That being said I love pleasant street and there are dozens of restaurants on it and just off of it. There’s also a movie theater, bars, coffee shops, insomnia cookies, etc etc and the most stars hollow farmers market I have ever been to that the students frequent on Saturday mornings. If you take the left turn to UMass (the campuses are quite close) and keep going you find the Targets and Chipotles of the world.

Yup, saw all of that, there is a few sandwich/coffee shops, two or three bars and not much else. Didn’t have a good meal the entire time we were there.

You're missing out; Protocol is among the upper echelon of restaurants we've been to.

Actually that’s where we ate. Nice atmosphere, mid food.

[Anonymous]

I’m a Williams alum FWIW. I liked Amherst when I toured decades ago, and I liked it even more when my kid toured. For me, it was the stunning natural setting and friendly atmosphere that sealed the deal for Williams. I could have been just as happy at Amherst though. I don’t understand why people need to put down any school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Tiny, mediocre campus in a lackluster town.

Opinion.

Anonymous wrote: No academic highlights (like Williams tutorial, Swarthmore Honors, etc).

Open curriculum? Consortium?

Anonymous wrote:
Racial and socioeconomic diversity on paper, but every group sticks with themselves.

I'm always surprised when I see this repeated here. DC's friend group looks like it was made for a brochure.

Anonymous wrote:
Snobby, condescending students who think they're big shots. This struck us because the students we met at Yale and Brown were so much more friendly and humble.

Opinion.

Anonymous wrote:
They tout small classes but only 62% are under 20 students- every other top ranked SLAC and nearly every top 20 university is ahead of them.

Nice cherrypicking. They're ahead of Williams and Swarthmore on under 30. Either way, the "advantages" the other schools have are rounding errors.

Anonymous wrote:
They themselves said few utilize the 5 College consortium, so that's a moot benefit.

The benefit also takes the form of being in a real college town with sports games, bars, and an actual full selection of amenities.

The consortium is not a real benefit and few students use it. I don't know why people on DCUM still are lying about this when it's common knowledge at this point. If you want a consortium that bad, go to the Claremont schools or whatever they are.
What percent of LAC classes even have 30 students?

I don't think this is true about the consortium. My kid is at another one of the colleges in this 5 college consortium and it's definitely a benefit. She has gone to many social events at other colleges. Her friend is taking a class at another school. They do use it. Plus there's just an overall benefit to being in an area that serves a lot of college students in terms of the infrastructure that serves them.

So 1 student at another school takes class off campus (btw no one is saying other colleges don’t sue the consortium- Hampshire basically only exists to take classes at the other schools), and students go off campus to other ones for some things. These aren’t exactly dazzling reasons to go to a college- I went to many MIT and BU events while at Harvard, but I wouldn’t list MIT parties as a core reason to go to Harvard

Being in a real college town with a full suite of amenities, restaurants open late into the night, proper bars, and 40,000 other students does give Amherst an advantage over Williams or Middlebury.

Have you been to Amherst? There were only a few restaurants and bars on the main drag, I was shocked given that UMass is so big and nearby. Apparently Mich of the social life is going to UMass parties. Not ideal.

DC goes to Amherst; we are quite familiar with the town.

Please enlighten where this “college infrastructure” is then because it certainly isn’t in the little shopping area next to the school. We could barely find somewhere for dinner outside of that horrible historic Inn.

Protocol. Lao Hu Tong. Formosa. LiLi's. Miss Saigon. Bueno Y Sano. Amherst Oyster Bar. Royal Chicken and Kebab. Pita Pockets. The list goes on and on. If you go to Hadley (easily accessible by a free bus), there's pretty much every store you'll need: Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Home Depot, Michael's, Big Y, T Mobile, AT&T, a Chase Bank branch…the amenities are all there.

DP here. I went to Dartmouth and Hanover is similar in size, but farther from other little towns. I remember Amherst being close to Northampton, which also has a bunch of great restaurants, shops and coffee shops. The point is that if you have a bunch of colleges nearby, there's more places to check out, which makes Amherst more interesting than, e.g. Williamstown. I heard that the kids at Williamstown drive to Northampton.

That’s definitely not true, at least not because they need to. People go to North Adams or Pittsfield. It’s easier to go to Albany than it is to Northampton

Northampton is far nicer of a place than North Adams or Pittsfield.

But if you’re going an hour out, just go to Albany-which has multiple times the things as Northampton. No one really mentioned niceness originally, so I’m not sure why we care.

I am one of the Amherst detractors. The Williams Inn was heaven. Even the sandwich and coffee places were nicer.

I love how you call yourself an "Amherst detractor." Is this something to be proud of? Why does it matter so much to you? Get a life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Tiny, mediocre campus in a lackluster town.

Opinion.

Anonymous wrote: No academic highlights (like Williams tutorial, Swarthmore Honors, etc).

Open curriculum? Consortium?

Anonymous wrote:
Racial and socioeconomic diversity on paper, but every group sticks with themselves.

I'm always surprised when I see this repeated here. DC's friend group looks like it was made for a brochure.

Anonymous wrote:
Snobby, condescending students who think they're big shots. This struck us because the students we met at Yale and Brown were so much more friendly and humble.

Opinion.

Anonymous wrote:
They tout small classes but only 62% are under 20 students- every other top ranked SLAC and nearly every top 20 university is ahead of them.

Nice cherrypicking. They're ahead of Williams and Swarthmore on under 30. Either way, the "advantages" the other schools have are rounding errors.

Anonymous wrote:
They themselves said few utilize the 5 College consortium, so that's a moot benefit.

The benefit also takes the form of being in a real college town with sports games, bars, and an actual full selection of amenities.

The consortium is not a real benefit and few students use it. I don't know why people on DCUM still are lying about this when it's common knowledge at this point. If you want a consortium that bad, go to the Claremont schools or whatever they are.
What percent of LAC classes even have 30 students?

I don't think this is true about the consortium. My kid is at another one of the colleges in this 5 college consortium and it's definitely a benefit. She has gone to many social events at other colleges. Her friend is taking a class at another school. They do use it. Plus there's just an overall benefit to being in an area that serves a lot of college students in terms of the infrastructure that serves them.

So 1 student at another school takes class off campus (btw no one is saying other colleges don’t sue the consortium- Hampshire basically only exists to take classes at the other schools), and students go off campus to other ones for some things. These aren’t exactly dazzling reasons to go to a college- I went to many MIT and BU events while at Harvard, but I wouldn’t list MIT parties as a core reason to go to Harvard

Being in a real college town with a full suite of amenities, restaurants open late into the night, proper bars, and 40,000 other students does give Amherst an advantage over Williams or Middlebury.

Have you been to Amherst? There were only a few restaurants and bars on the main drag, I was shocked given that UMass is so big and nearby. Apparently Mich of the social life is going to UMass parties. Not ideal.

DC goes to Amherst; we are quite familiar with the town.

Please enlighten where this “college infrastructure” is then because it certainly isn’t in the little shopping area next to the school. We could barely find somewhere for dinner outside of that horrible historic Inn.

Protocol. Lao Hu Tong. Formosa. LiLi's. Miss Saigon. Bueno Y Sano. Amherst Oyster Bar. Royal Chicken and Kebab. Pita Pockets. The list goes on and on. If you go to Hadley (easily accessible by a free bus), there's pretty much every store you'll need: Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Home Depot, Michael's, Big Y, T Mobile, AT&T, a Chase Bank branch…the amenities are all there.

DP here. I went to Dartmouth and Hanover is similar in size, but farther from other little towns. I remember Amherst being close to Northampton, which also has a bunch of great restaurants, shops and coffee shops. The point is that if you have a bunch of colleges nearby, there's more places to check out, which makes Amherst more interesting than, e.g. Williamstown. I heard that the kids at Williamstown drive to Northampton.

That’s definitely not true, at least not because they need to. People go to North Adams or Pittsfield. It’s easier to go to Albany than it is to Northampton

Northampton is far nicer of a place than North Adams or Pittsfield.

But if you’re going an hour out, just go to Albany-which has multiple times the things as Northampton. No one really mentioned niceness originally, so I’m not sure why we care.

I am one of the Amherst detractors. The Williams Inn was heaven. Even the sandwich and coffee places were nicer.

I love how you call yourself an "Amherst detractor." Is this something to be proud of? Why does it matter so much to you? Get a life.

You are taking this way too personally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a Williams alum FWIW. I liked Amherst when I toured decades ago, and I liked it even more when my kid toured. For me, it was the stunning natural setting and friendly atmosphere that sealed the deal for Williams. I could have been just as happy at Amherst though. I don’t understand why people need to put down any school.

This is a thread about what people like or don’t like about Amherst. Don’t read it if you find it too offensive.

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Anonymous wrote:I wonder how much time the various detractors have actually spent near Amherst. In addition to several blocks of restaurants (multiple Asian and Mexican places), cafes, a bookstore, movie theater, weekly farmer’s market and live music venue that brings in big acts right near campus, there are also all the strip mall type amenities within 3 miles— Whole Foods, rTrader Joe’s, big y, Home Depot, target, chipotle and similar chain type restaurants, large rock climbing gym. Then there is Northampton, which is quite urban in feel with several blocks of shops and restaurants and bars. Add to that concerts and events at other schools in the consortium and there is a lot going on, as much as at any school not in a large city. And then there are the trails right on campus with farm with flower garden where kids can make bouquets for their room, the gorgeous rail trail that goes all the way to Northampton, and multiple beautiful nature preserves with hiking trails and swimming holes all within easy biking distance. In the first two months my DC has biked to Northhampton and attended multiple live concerts in Amherst. I would say the campus buildings, especially the library, are not as impressive as many campuses (though the dorms are quite nice, and everything is more than functional), and the first year quad is pretty with a good view of the mountains, but not as nice as Williams or Middlebury. I think if you take a quick tour it might not impress, but if you really explore the area I think it has a lot more going for it in terms of a combination of amenities/activities/nature than any other LAC on the east coast.

I liked Middlebury a lot but I don’t think the campus is super cute, certainly not cuter than Amherst. The buildings are hodgepodgey/modern.

Middlebury is literally the opposite of hodgepodge and modern. Have you even been there?

Random Tudor building.

There are no Tudor buildings at Middlebury. Do you mean the Chateau?

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Tiny, mediocre campus in a lackluster town.

Opinion.

Anonymous wrote: No academic highlights (like Williams tutorial, Swarthmore Honors, etc).

Open curriculum? Consortium?

Anonymous wrote:
Racial and socioeconomic diversity on paper, but every group sticks with themselves.

I'm always surprised when I see this repeated here. DC's friend group looks like it was made for a brochure.

Anonymous wrote:
Snobby, condescending students who think they're big shots. This struck us because the students we met at Yale and Brown were so much more friendly and humble.

Opinion.

Anonymous wrote:
They tout small classes but only 62% are under 20 students- every other top ranked SLAC and nearly every top 20 university is ahead of them.

Nice cherrypicking. They're ahead of Williams and Swarthmore on under 30. Either way, the "advantages" the other schools have are rounding errors.

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They themselves said few utilize the 5 College consortium, so that's a moot benefit.

The benefit also takes the form of being in a real college town with sports games, bars, and an actual full selection of amenities.

The consortium is not a real benefit and few students use it. I don't know why people on DCUM still are lying about this when it's common knowledge at this point. If you want a consortium that bad, go to the Claremont schools or whatever they are.
What percent of LAC classes even have 30 students?

I don't think this is true about the consortium. My kid is at another one of the colleges in this 5 college consortium and it's definitely a benefit. She has gone to many social events at other colleges. Her friend is taking a class at another school. They do use it. Plus there's just an overall benefit to being in an area that serves a lot of college students in terms of the infrastructure that serves them.

So 1 student at another school takes class off campus (btw no one is saying other colleges don’t sue the consortium- Hampshire basically only exists to take classes at the other schools), and students go off campus to other ones for some things. These aren’t exactly dazzling reasons to go to a college- I went to many MIT and BU events while at Harvard, but I wouldn’t list MIT parties as a core reason to go to Harvard

Being in a real college town with a full suite of amenities, restaurants open late into the night, proper bars, and 40,000 other students does give Amherst an advantage over Williams or Middlebury.

Have you been to Amherst? There were only a few restaurants and bars on the main drag, I was shocked given that UMass is so big and nearby. Apparently Mich of the social life is going to UMass parties. Not ideal.

DC goes to Amherst; we are quite familiar with the town.

Please enlighten where this “college infrastructure” is then because it certainly isn’t in the little shopping area next to the school. We could barely find somewhere for dinner outside of that horrible historic Inn.

Protocol. Lao Hu Tong. Formosa. LiLi's. Miss Saigon. Bueno Y Sano. Amherst Oyster Bar. Royal Chicken and Kebab. Pita Pockets. The list goes on and on. If you go to Hadley (easily accessible by a free bus), there's pretty much every store you'll need: Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Home Depot, Michael's, Big Y, T Mobile, AT&T, a Chase Bank branch…the amenities are all there.

DP here. I went to Dartmouth and Hanover is similar in size, but farther from other little towns. I remember Amherst being close to Northampton, which also has a bunch of great restaurants, shops and coffee shops. The point is that if you have a bunch of colleges nearby, there's more places to check out, which makes Amherst more interesting than, e.g. Williamstown. I heard that the kids at Williamstown drive to Northampton.

That’s definitely not true, at least not because they need to. People go to North Adams or Pittsfield. It’s easier to go to Albany than it is to Northampton

Northampton is far nicer of a place than North Adams or Pittsfield.

But if you’re going an hour out, just go to Albany-which has multiple times the things as Northampton. No one really mentioned niceness originally, so I’m not sure why we care.

I am one of the Amherst detractors. The Williams Inn was heaven. Even the sandwich and coffee places were nicer.

I love how you call yourself an "Amherst detractor." Is this something to be proud of? Why does it matter so much to you? Get a life.

You are taking this way too personally.

I just want to understand what's going through your mind. Did your child get rejected? Did you get rejected? Did an Amherst alum lay you off? It's ok, you can always get help for your issues